Ant-trap



( No Modell) D. WISE .au R. RoNTREB.

ANT TRAP. i

No. 355,366. Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

@mA/nm UNITED STATES PATENT (,)ErrcEt4 DAVID WISE' REUBEN ROUNTREE, 0F COTTONDALE, TEXAS.

A NT-TRA P.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,366, dated January 4, 1887.

Application filed October 6, 1886. Serial No. 215,492. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID WISE and REU- BEN ROUNTREE, citizens of the United States, residing at Cottondale, in the county of Vise and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ant-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to animprovement in ant-traps; and it consists in a frame which is adapted to be placed over the ant-hill, so as to surround the entrance thereto, and provided with parallel surrounding langes or sides which converge toward each other and lead to an exit-spout, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The object of our invention is to provide an ant-trap which is adapted to catch the ants both on their attempt to leave the hill or to return to it, whereby the entire colony may be exterminated; and this object we accomplish by the device hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan View of an ant-trapembodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken on the line x m of Fig. l, and illustrating the trap in operative position. c

A represents a triangular frame, which is provided with a central triangular opening. From theinner sides, and also from the outer sides, of the frame project sides B, which incline toward each other, and are provided at their upper 'edges with anges C, which are turned outwardly from the spaces inclosed by the sides. The said sides and iianges are made of sheet metal, preferably tin.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that three channels or passage- Ways, D, E, and F, are formed around the triangle, which communicate with'each other. From the angle formed by the channels Dand F projects an exit channel or spout, G, and a vertical plate, H, extends from the angle formed by the inner sides of the said channels D and F longitudinally through the center of the exit channel or spout D. The latter is provided near its outer end with an opening, I, which is made by cutting a V-shaped incision in the bottom of the' channel or spout and turning down the tongue K, formed thereby, to a vertical position. At the extreme outer end of .ant-hill.

the exit channel or spout is a second downturned tongue, L, (see Fig. 2,) which is valso V-shaped.

The operation of our invention is as follows:

The ant-trap is placed upon the ant-hill with which extend upwardly to the anges C, so as y to form gradual ascents both on the linner and outer sides of the trap, that lead to the channels D, E, and F. Below the exit channel or spout a ,bucketror other suitable receptacle, M, is buried in the groundby the side of the The ants, bothon going to and leaving the ant-hill, travel up the inclines and fall down into the channelsD, E, and F. As the sides of the said channels are made of sheet metal and are very smooth, and as the said sides are further inclined toward each other, it is impossible for the ants to climb up them, and consequentl y they cannot leave the channels, except by passing into the exit-channel G. From the same they fall down through the opening I into the bucket or vessel, and as the latter has smooth vertical sides the ants are unable to escape therefrom, and in a short time the entire colony is caught in the bucket. They may be then readily exterminated by pouring a quantity of scalding water upon them.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the triangular shape of the trap, as it is evident that it may be made of any form desired.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- The ant-trap having the channel adapted to surround the entrance to the hill, and the exit-channel extending from the said surrounding channel, and the sides B, inclining toward 9 each other on opposite sides of the channels and provided with the flanges C at their upper edges, substantially as described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto afiixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID WISE. BEUBEN BOUN TREE.

Witnesses:

N. KEEN, J. W. KEEN..

ICO 

